The business school dean will participate in an unprecedented research project to provide transparency about biometric and neurological research methods

(January 5, 2011)

From the Advertising Research Foundation: David Stewart, the Dean of UCR’s School of Business Administration and The A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management, has been named a member of the Advertising Research Foundation’s Evaluation Committee for its new NeuroStandards Collaboration, an unprecedented research project that will provide much-needed transparency about biometric and neurological research methods.

The pioneer study was launched by Duane Varan, Ph.D., Director, Interactive Television Research Institute/ Executive Director, Murdoch University, Australia and CRO, The Disney Media and Advertising Lab during the ARF NeuroStandards Advertising Week event in New York.

Biometric and neurological methods like Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Electroencephalography (EEG) and facial coding have become increasingly popular in media and marketing research, but to date, no major validation studies have been conducted to properly assess neuroscience as it applies to media and advertising response. Different vendors use different techniques, and sometimes it is unclear what science is being used, whether science is being applied soundly, and whether biometric measures are even appropriate to the problem being addressed.

Project leader Dr. Varan said, “Biometric and Neuro methods open exciting new horizons for media and marketing research. Validation helps ensure that these are used appropriately in terms of methods, interpretation, applications and their ethical considerations. This is a ground-breaking project which we're excited to support.”

The NeuroStandards Collaboration presents an open invitation to all vendors in the neuroscience space to submit their work for independent peer review. Comparisons will be drawn across methods with the intention of identifying emerging consensus and moving toward establishing standards for biometric research.

Horst Stipp, SVP, Strategic Insights & Innovation at NBC Universal, a Gold Sponsor of the initiative said, "For a company like NBC Universal, it is important to use the best methods available to understand the consumer. This project will help us identify the best features of these innovative methodologies."